Apparatus for lighting smokable material without heat source having physical contact with smokable material

ABSTRACT

The apparatus solves at least one technical problem, disclosed herein, resulting from lighting and/or vaporizing a smokeable material (material hereafter). Embodiments include a heating assembly responsive to electrical stimulus to heat incoming air to create heated air delivered to material to light and/or vaporize it without direct physical contact to create air mixed with vaporized and/or ignition byproducts intended for human consumption. The apparatus may further include a power assembly adapted and/or configured to couple at least electrically with the heating assembly to provide electrical stimulus to heat the air. The apparatus may further include a lighter and/or a pipe containing at least one instance of the heating assembly, with or without the power assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relies upon U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 63/310,623 filed Feb. 16, 2022 entitled “Apparatus for lightingsmokable material without heat source having physical contact withsmokable material”.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments disclosed in this patent application relate with and/orembody at least an electronic heating device for use with material,known hereafter as smokeable material, that is to be vaporized and/orburned with the presumed intention of inhalation by a human user.

BACKGROUND

Lighters of today function as if they were designed to start camp fires,not for igniting smoking materials which are inhaled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary will begin by outlining various technical problems to besolved by one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein. The summarywill then outline several exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

There are several, related technical problems, which need to be solved,and which are generally unrecognized. Lighters of today function as ifthey were designed to start camp fires, not for igniting smokingmaterials which are inhaled. Looking more broadly, the inventorsconsidered several alternatives to lighting material for smoking:

-   -   A Gas Lighter uses a nonrenewable gas to create a flame, can        explode in your pocket and is not temperature adjustable.    -   A Magnifying Glass only works in conjunction with the Sun, takes        a long time, and is hard to smoke and use.    -   A Plasma Lighter makes direct contact with smokable material.        The contact causes charred smokable material to build up. And        this also degrades the flavor from repeated use.    -   A Car Cigarette Lighter makes direct contact with smokable        material. The contact causes charred smokable material to build        up. This also degrades the flavor from repeated use.    -   Matches contain phosphorus and other compounds which may corrupt        the flavor of the material being smoked through the creation of        at least one undesirable biproducts and/or undesirable flavors.    -   A Soldering Iron makes direct contact with smokable material.        The contact causes charred smokable material to build up. And        this also degrades the flavor from repeated use.    -   A Heat Gun typically does not make direct contact with the        smokable material, but it tends to blow the material everywhere.        It is not built in such a way that the heating element can get        close enough to the smokable material to be practical.    -   Herbal vaporizers may be compatible with existing smoke pieces        (water pipes, pipes, etc.), so they can be used as a replacement        for a lighter. However, they are incapable of temperatures high        enough to ignite the material and cannot be used with existing        pipe and water pipe bowl pieces.    -   A torch lighter has similar problems to a Gas Lighter, Plasma        Lighter and Heat gun regarding igniting material to be smoked.

When the inventors reviewed these technical problems, they realized thatthese problems possessed a consistent set of technical solutionsaddressing a collective reformulation of the above point-specifictechnical problems, which will be referred to hereafter as the smokingtechnical problems.

FIG. 1C shows at least one smoking technical problem includes at leastone of the following technical problems resulting from the lighting ofthe smokable material:

-   -   Residues accumulating near and/or on the apparatus;    -   Excessive incineration of the smokable material;    -   Release of at least one undesirable biproduct and/or undesirable        flavor ingested by the user;    -   Damage to the flavor of the smokable material once ignited; and    -   Damage to the natural effect of the smokable material once        ignited.

In each embodiment, the apparatus comprises a heating assembly firstshown in FIG. 1A, including a housing and a heat source. The housingcouples to the heat source to provide a safe distance between the heatsource and the smokable material to insure no direct contact between theheat source and the smokable material, first shown in FIG. 1B. This isan embodiment, which solves at least one of the smoking technicalproblems of FIG. 1C for the user.

-   -   The heating assembly may further include a first air inlet and a        first air outlet. The first air inlet is adapted to provide air        into the heat source and the first air outlet provides a heated        version of the air (heated air hereafter) from the heat source.        The housing may contain a first entrance of the air into the        first air inlet and a first outlet of the heated air.    -   The heating assembly may further include a first electrical        contact and a second electrical contact adapted to provide        electrical power across the heat source to create the heated air        sent to the first outlet. Considering FIG. 1A, etc. an        electrical circuit is formed between the first and second        terminals (+ and −) of the battery and these electrical        contacts.    -   One contact may by implemented as a layer of the housing making        electric contact with the heat source, and the other contact may        be a post in the heating assembly completing the electrical        circuit with the terminals of the battery.    -   Alternatively, both contacts with the heat source may be        implemented as posts in the heating assembly completing the        electrical circuit with the terminals of the battery.

The apparatus of this application includes at least three embodiments:

-   -   Apparatus for lighting smokable material containing one or more        cannabis related products.    -   Apparatus for lighting smokable material containing one or more        tobacco related products.    -   Apparatus for lighting a more general smokable material.

There are several potentially valuable ways to look at theseembodiments:

-   -   At least some of these embodiments relate with and/or embody at        least an electronic heating device for use with the smokeable        material that is to be vaporized and/or burned with the presumed        intention of inhalation by a human user.    -   The device may contain a heating assembly which receives        electrical stimulus to generate heat delivered across a distance        to the smokable material. The distance may be set or adjustable        in different implementations of at least one embodiment.    -   The electronic heating device may or may not contain a power        assembly. The power assembly may be adapted and/or configured to        provide the electrical stimulus to the heating assembly. The        device may embody a lighter.    -   Some embodiments may consist essentially of a version of the        heating assembly. Some implementations of the heating assembly        may be configured and/or adapted to mechanically and/or        electrically couple to the power assembly to heat smokeable        material intended for human inhalation.    -   Any of these embodiments of the electronic heating device may be        contained in a pipe as shown in FIG. 5A onward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show example embodiments of the electronic heatingdevice including a heating assembly. As shown these embodiments includea power assembly electrically coupled to the heating assembly to provideelectrical stimulus to the heating assembly. FIG. 1B shows theelectronic heating device providing heated air to smokeable material,lighting the material without direct physical contact to providevaporized and/or burned material mixed with air for the purpose of humaninhalation.

FIG. 1C schematically shows the technical problems being solved by oneor more embodiments.

FIG. 1D schematically shows a summary of the various implementations ofthe heat source for creating the heated air, during the operation of theheating assembly of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H and FIG. 1I show some examples of thesmokeable material FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1J shows schematically some compositions of the heat source andheating element of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. The heat source and/or theheating element may include any combination of the essentiallynon-reactive components.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show two examples of the lighter, the heatingassembly and the power assembly shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2C shows some details of operation of the heating assembly of FIG.1B electrically stimulated wherein the arrows indicate airflow and theheat source operates to heat the air entering through the air inlet tocreate the heated air, which is intended to vaporize and/or ignite thesmokable material in a pipe loaded with the material.

FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E show an example of components adapted and configuredto create the heating assembly shown in other drawings.

FIG. 3A shows some details of the Stainless Steel (SS) Cone shell as itlooks for use in the heating assembly of at least some other drawings.FIG. 3B shows a side view of the heating assembly. And FIG. 3C shows across section of the heating assembly.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show two views of an exploded part diagram of theheating assembly.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B further show an example of the pipe adapted andconfigured to include and use the heating assembly and the powerassembly further acting as a carburetor pipe.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A show an example of the pipe adapted andconfigured to include and use the heating assembly and the powerassembly further acting as a water pipe. The second setting of the waterpipe of FIG. 7A may operate similarly to the second setting of FIG. 7B.FIG. 7C shows some further details of FIG. 7A for the water pipe.

FIG. 8 further shows the water pipe including a Carburetor inlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In at least some of these embodiments, the apparatus includes at leastone of the following:

-   -   A heat source first shown in FIG. 1A adapted to light the        smokable material first shown in FIG. 1B. The heat source is        adapted and/or configured to light the smokable material without        direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable        material. The apparatus additionally solves at least one smoking        technical problem shown in FIG. 1C for a user of the apparatus        resulting from the lighting of the smokable material.

FIG. 1C shows at least one smoking technical problem includes at leastone of the following technical problems resulting from the lightingand/or vaporizing of the smokable material:

-   -   One or more chemical residues accumulates near and/or on the        apparatus;    -   Excessive incineration(s) of the smokable material;    -   Release of at least one undesirable biproduct and/or undesirable        flavor ingested by the user;    -   Damage to the flavor of the smokable material once ignited; and    -   Damage to the natural effect of the smokable material once        ignited.

FIG. 1D shows the heat source may create the heated air to light and/orvaporize the smokable material through at least one of

-   -   Resistive heating in response to the electrical power across the        heat source to create the heated air,    -   Inductive heating in response to the electrical power across the        heat source to create the heated air, and    -   Convective heating in response to the electrical power across        the heat source.

In each embodiment, the apparatus may further comprise a power assemblyadapted, as first shown in FIG. 1A, to mechanically couple to theheating assembly to electrically couple to the first contact and adaptedto contain at least one battery adapted to provide a first batteryterminal and a second battery terminal. The assembly may be configuredto use the second battery terminal to generate the electrical power usedin the heating assembly to create the heated air.

-   -   The power assembly may incorporate a battery body of a vaping        device adapted to screw onto the heating assembly to        mechanically couple the power assembly to the heating assembly        and couple the first contact between the power assembly and the        heating assembly.

In each embodiment, the apparatus may be adapted to implement at leastone of:

-   -   A lighter first shown in FIG. 1A adapted and/or configured to        light/vaporize the smokable material without direct physical        contact between the heat source and the smokable material,        comprising the heating assembly coupled to the power assembly.    -   And a pipe first shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, adapted and/or        configured to light/vaporize the smokable material without        direct physical contact between the heat source and the smokable        material, comprising the heating assembly coupled to the power        assembly. As used herein, the term to light/vaporize refers to        lighting and/or vaporizing.

The lighter may couple with a second pipe as shown in FIG. 1B to lightthe smokable material without direct physical contact between the heatsource and the smokable material.

The pipe, as first shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, may be adapted and/orconfigured to include the heating assembly mechanically coupled to thepipe to implement at least two settings of the heating assembly.

-   -   A first setting shown in FIG. 5A, may configure the heating        assembly near the smokable material of the pipe to support        lighting/vaporizing the smokable material by operating the        heating assembly.    -   A second setting shown in FIG. 5B, may configure the heating        assembly away from the smokable material of the pipe so that the        heating assembly remains mechanically coupled to the pipe when        the smokable material is not being lighted/vaporized.

In each embodiment, the heat source may contain at least one heatingelement composed of at least one essentially non-reactive component asshown in FIG. 1J.

-   -   The essentially non-reactive component is a chemical composition        which does not form oxides in the presence of oxygen except at a        temperature above the operating range required to light the        smokable material.    -   As used herein, the operating range required to light a        smokeable material is likely to vary based upon atmospheric        pressure and relative humidity. By way of example, atmospheric        pressure is often a function on Earth of one's local elevation        above sea level. Relative humidity can vary, but will be        hypothetically assumed to be the humidity range of a country        such as the United States, or a continent such as South America.        In both of the examples, the relative humidity range is from        near 0, say 1 percent (%) to 100%. Hypothetically, atmospheric        pressure will range from an average atmospheric pressure at sea        level to 5 kilometers (km) or more in altitude. In other        circumstances, taking into account ambient temperature may be        useful. It seems reasonable to assume an ambient temperature        range of a temperate to tropical climate, possibly from an artic        climate through temperate to tropical to desert climate.    -   By way of example, given some combination of the preceding        hypotheses, cannabis may have a vaporization temperature of        about 315 degrees Centigrade, or about 446 degrees Fahrenheit.        The ignition temperature may be about 450 degrees Centigrade.        Based upon these or similar estimates derived from specific        conditions outlined above, the operating range of cannabis        vaporization and/or combustion may be between 315 and 450        degrees Centigrade.    -   Another example, tobacco (under similar hypothetical conditions)        may have a vaporization temperature of about 257 degrees        Centigrade, or about 392 degrees Fahrenheit. The ignition        temperature could not be readily found in a preliminary web        search, but is likely to be in the neighborhood of 500 degrees        Centigrade. This and the preceding two paragraphs constitute an        effort to disclose the best mode of the apparatus of this patent        application in terms of the thoughts of the inventors. Note that        some of the operating conditions are hypothetical, and subject        to later and possibly better estimates than are available to the        inventors at this time.    -   As used herein, the essentially non-reactive component does not        form oxides except at a temperature above the operating range,        for example, at temperature N degrees Centigrade above the        operating range. N may be a member of a group consisting        essentially of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, 100, 200, and/or 300        degrees Centigrade above the operating range.    -   For example, the essentially non-reactive component may contain        at least one of a stainless steel, a titanium, a titanium alloy,        a platinum, a woven carbon nanotube structure, an essentially        non-reactive ceramic, a kanthal, a nichrome, a nickel and an        aluminum nitrate.

In each embodiment, the pipe may be adapted and/or configured for thesmokable material as shown in FIG. 1E through FIG. 1G, in at least oneof a dry herb form of the smokable material, a dry concentrate of thesmokable material, a liquid form of the smokable material, and anextract of the smokable material.

By way of further examples, consider FIG. 2A to FIG. 2E. FIG. 2A shows aversion of the heating assembly of FIG. 1A having a height (disregardingthe mechanical coupling to the power assembly) of 25 millimeters (mm)and a width of about 22 mm. Note that 25 mm is about one inch.

FIG. 2B shows a second version of the heating assembly of FIG. 1A againwith a height of about 25 mm but a width of about 12 mm. In this versionof the heating assembly, the housing is essentially a hollow cylinder,possibly providing notches for the heat source to be held.

FIG. 2C shows some details of FIG. 1B, showing air flowing into the airinlet, the heating source interacting with the air flow from the airinlet to create the heated air traversing the air outlet of FIG. 1A,heats the smokable material thereby lighting the smokable materialwithout direct physical contact as shown in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E show an example of components adapted and configuredto create the heating assembly of other drawings. As used in thesedrawings, SS indicates at least one form of Stainless Steel. Note thatin this example, the SS Cone Shell, when assembled in the heatingassembly of other drawings may provide more than one air inlet.

FIG. 3A shows some details of the SS Cone shell as it looks for use inthe heating assembly. FIG. 3B shows a side view of the heating assembly.And FIG. 3C shows a cross section of the heating assembly.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show two views of an exploded part diagram of theheating assembly. FIG. 4A shows a slanted view of the components. FIG.4B shows a side view of the components.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B further show an example of the pipe adapted and/orconfigured to include and use the heating assembly and the powerassembly further acting as a carburetor pipe.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A show an example of the pipe adapted andconfigured to include and use the heating assembly and the powerassembly further acting as a water pipe. The second setting of the waterpipe of FIG. 7A may operate similarly to the second setting of FIG. 7B.FIG. 7C shows some further details of FIG. 7A for the water pipe. AndFIG. 8 further shows the water pipe including a Carburetor inlet.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: 1A) a heat sourceadapted to light/vaporize a smokable material containing at least onecannabis related product; 1B) wherein said heat source is adapted and/orconfigured to light/vaporize said smokable material without directphysical contact between said heat source and said smokable material;and 1C) wherein said apparatus solves at least one smoking technicalproblem for a user of said apparatus resulting from saidlighting/vaporizing of said smokable material.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein said at least one smoking technical problem includes at leastone of the following technical problems resulting from saidlighting/vaporizing of said smokable material: 2A) chemical residuesaccumulating near and/or on said apparatus; 2B) excessive incinerationof said smokable material; 2C) release of at least one undesirablebiproduct and/or at least one undesirable flavor ingested by said user;2D) damage to the flavor of said smokable material oncelighted/vaporized; and 2E) damage to the natural effect of said smokablematerial once lighted/vaporized.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising 3A) a heating assembly including a housing, and said heatsource; 3B) wherein said housing couples to said heat source to providea safe distance between said heat source and said smokable material toinsure no direct contact between said heat source and said smokablematerial to solve said at least one of said smoking technical problemsfor said user.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, 4A) wherein said heatingassembly further includes a first air inlet and a first air outlet; 4B)wherein said first air inlet is adapted to provide air into said heatsource and said first air outlet provides a heated version of said air(heated air hereafter) from said heat source; 4C) wherein said housingcontains a first entrance of said air into said first air inlet and saidfirst outlet of said heated air.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, whereinsaid heating assembly further includes: 5A) a first electrical contactand a second electrical contact adapted to provide electrical poweracross said heat source to create said heated air sent to said firstoutlet.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said heat source implementscreating said heated air to light/vaporize said smokable materialthrough at least one of 6A) resistive heating in response to saidelectrical power across said heat source to create said heated air; 6B)inductive heating in response to said electrical power across said heatsource to create said heated air; and 6C) convective heating in responseto said electrical power across said heat source.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 6, further comprises 7A) a power assembly adapted to mechanicallycouple to said heating assembly to electrically couple to said firstcontact and adapted to contain at least one battery adapted to provide afirst battery terminal and a second battery terminal; 7B) wherein saidpower assembly is configured to use said second battery terminal togenerate said electrical power used in said heating assembly to createsaid heated air.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, 8A) wherein said powerassembly incorporates a battery body of a vaping device adapted to screwonto said heating assembly to mechanically couple said power assembly tosaid heating assembly and couple said first contact between said powerassembly and said heating assembly.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7 adaptedto implement at least one of: 9A) a lighter adapted and/or configured tolight/vaporize said smokable material without direct physical contactbetween said heat source and said smokable material, comprising saidheating assembly coupled to said power assembly; and 9B) a pipe adaptedand/or configured to light/vaporize said smokable material withoutdirect physical contact between said heat source and said smokablematerial, comprising said heating assembly coupled to said powerassembly.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, 10A) wherein said lightercouples to a second pipe to light/vaporize said smokable materialwithout direct physical contact between said heat source and saidsmokable material.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, 11A) wherein said pipeis adapted and/or configured to include said heating assemblymechanically coupled to said pipe to implement at least two settings ofsaid heating assembly; 11B) wherein a first setting configures saidheating assembly near said smokable material of said pipe to supportlighting/vaporizing said smokable material by operating said heatingassembly; and 11C) wherein a second setting configures said heatingassembly away from said smokable material of said pipe so that saidheating assembly remains mechanically coupled to said pipe when saidsmokable material is not being lighted/vaporized.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 1, 12A) wherein said heat source contains at least one heatingelement composed of at least one essentially non-reactive component;12B) wherein said essentially non-reactive component is a chemicalcomposition which does not form oxides in the presence of oxygen exceptat a temperature above the operating range required to light saidsmokable material.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, 13A) wherein saidessentially non-reactive component contains at least one of a stainlesssteel, a titanium, a titanium alloy, a platinum, a woven carbon nanotubestructure, an essentially non-reactive ceramic, a kanthal, a nichrome, anickel and an aluminum nitrate.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, 14A)wherein said pipe is adapted and/or configured for said smokablematerial in at least one of a dry herb form of said smokable material, adry concentrate of said smokable material, a liquid form of saidsmokable material, and an extract of said smokable material.